Train up a Child – Part 3

Ok Gang,

This is the 3rd and final part of Train up a Child (Proverbs 22:6)…..I think!   I guess we’ll see….

I wanted to go back to this portion of scripture to touch on one very important point…..As a parent of 3 children it was my whole heart to raise them to love, honor and serve God their Father with everything in them!!!  Nothing was going to get in my way!!!  Problem is….things DO get in the way sometimes….”Satan comes to STEAL, KILL, AND DESTROY” (John 10:10) …..1 Peter 5:8 says, “Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.”   In Matthew Henry’s Commentary of  1 Peter 5:8 he writes,  “He is a roaring lion, hungry, fierce, strong, and cruel, the fierce and greedy pursuer of souls….. He walks about, seeking whom he may devour; his whole design is to devour and destroy souls. To this end he is unwearied and restless in his malicious endeavors; for he always, night and day, goes about studying and contriving whom he may ensnare to their eternal ruin….”
Here’s my point I want to get across to you…..I will use myself as an example….. I am a very passionate personality which can prove to be a very helpful and good thing …..BUT it also can be a detriment and the very place in which I can (and have) left myself open to be stolen from, devoured, and possibly destroyed!  Now, remember….if it is OUR job as parents to teach and train our children, but then allow the enemy of our souls any crack or opening into our own lives….then doesn’t that present a big problem for our children if the devil himself destroys and steals from us the teachers?? WITHOUT THE TEACHER THERE IS NO TEACHING!!!!     Remember in 1 Peter 5:8 the word of God tells us “Be sober (Self-controlled), be vigilant (watchful), because YOUR ADVERSARY (the devil) walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he MAY devour.”  These words are very telling…..ask yourself…”Am I self-controlled in my mind, in my actions, in my attitude, in my physical body?”  Am I watchful about my attitude of heart, watchful of my actions and reactions?  Am I even aware that my adversary is “Studying” me and waiting to pounce on my neglect in some area?? Am I just plain tooooo busy?? God is telling us to pay attention!!  Satan and his cohorts study and look for our unguarded,  weak,  isolated moments ….do you ever feel weak, tired, and isolated???  Well, take heart….IN HIM our strength is renewed!!   God says “Come to ME, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest”!  (Matthew 11:28) ….Ahhhh…Rest…..sometimes it eludes us…..But, here’s the thing,  we live in a fallen world, I know this might shock some of you,  but we are not perfect…yet….we are BEING perfected!!!   We get tired, we get weary, we make mistakes, we go the wrong directions, we can sin in a moments notice, and sometimes we just do all of this nonsense all at once  – thank God we have His GRACE every moment of every day to make up for those “lapses” we may have!!  But we still need to be aware and be vigilant, diligent, and passionate about our children’s training and Christian development!!  WE CANNOT LET THE ENEMY OF OUR SOULS COME AND STEAL AND DESTROY US….OUR CHILDREN’S LIVES ARE ON THE LINE ….. Get your ARMOR ON!!!!  So chin up my fellow parents….. Let’s join together, as the body of teachers who have been entrusted by the KING to care for, nurture, and train up these warriors for Christ in the end times!!! Let’s help build the Kings army like never before!!  Press on and Press into HIM – “the Author and Finisher of our faith”!!!